Do you have questions about foot injuries or the causes of foot pain? Tanglewood Foot Specialists provides the answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about foot injuries and foot care. If you would like to schedule an appointment to talk to a doctor about your foot pain, call Tanglewood Foot Specialists at (713) 785-7881.

A sprained ankle should be treated with ice. Even though heat feels better on the injury, it should not be used. The same applies for all acute musculoskeletal injuries, no matter where they are.

Ice constricts the blood vessels which aids in decreasing swelling and inflammation. Heat does the opposite and will increase the inflammatory reaction. That can actually increase the amount of swelling and pain. If you sprain your ankle, think 'RICE': Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation for the immediate treatment.

You can sprain your ankle for a number of reasons. For one, you can simply step wrong or twist it while playing ball. You can also have a foot type, such as a high arched cavus foot, that predisposes you to twisting your ankle. Why you continue spraining your ankle is a different matter.

Each time you suffer a sprained ankle, ligaments that stabilize your ankle are injured and are at least partially torn. Ligaments do heal, but if not treated soon after the injury they will heal in a "stretched" position that doesn't allow for as much support on the outside of the ankle. This can lead to a more habitual twisting. To avoid this, visit your Houston podiatrist Dr. Andrew Schneider immediately after an ankle sprain to address the injury and prevent continues problems.

There are a few reasons why your foot has become swollen after you sprain your ankle. For one, the ligaments that are on the sides of your ankle that provide stability, and ares injured when you twist your ankle, attach to your foot. Torn ligaments in your ankle, for this reason, will lead to swelling and bruising in your foot.

Another reason is a broken bone in your foot. A strong tendon runs down the outside of your ankle and attaches to the side of your foot. When you sprain your ankle, it puts sudden tension on this tendon which pulls on the base of the fifth metatarsal bone, causing it to break. This broken foot bone is often called a Jones Fracture. It is another reason why it is so important to have Houston PodiatristDr. Andrew Schneider check out your sprained ankle immediately. If a Jones fracture is not treated quickly, foot surgery will be required to repair it.

A twisted and sprained ankle definitely needs to be checked with an x-ray. Depending on the severity of the injury, different bones are at risk of fractures. At the very least, your ankle and foot need to be imaged. All the bones of the ankle need to be checked for fractures. Occasionally, an x-ray higher in the leg may need to be taken.

Foot x-rays are also necessary to ensure no broken bones are present. Several tendons cross the ankle and attach to bones in the foot. When you sprain your ankle, these tendons pull in an awkward way that pulls on the bones. The sudden tension can cause the bones to break. All fractures of the foot and ankle need to be addressed immediately. If you sprain your ankle, or injure your foot or ankle in any way, call Houston podiatristDr. Andrew Schneider to have it evaluated immediately.

There are a number of different ankle braces that are available. The most simple, an ACE bandage or pull-on ankle brace provides minimal support. It can work, however, to provide some additional support after there is full recovery from an ankle sprain. There are pull-on ankle braces that also have additional support to provide more stability to the ankle and help prevent it from being twisted. There are also lace-up braces that provide the most stability of all braces that can be found in pharmacies or running stores.